This is my first time posting. I have a disco 2 that I am attempting to do transmission service on. I did my homework thoroughly and went to work replacing the transmission filter and then topping off my fluids. I used the proper fluids Dexron 6 full synthetic. Here is the issue. When I top it off while my vehicle is cold and then I start it up to warm up. I cycle through my gears as directed. Supposedly when I remove the filler plug nothing is to come out and I am to put in about 2 to 3 more quarts of transmission fluid in. Well this doesn't happen. The fluid continues to pour out and it's difficult to put any more in there because it seems I have to force it in and then removed the filler and rush to get my plug back on. The fluid rushes out. When I do as directed and wait until it's just a dribble I have no transmission at all. I have change the fluid 3 times in order to see if I was doing anything wrong which has been costly. Any suggestions?

 

How much fluid goes in when it's cold? It's usually okay to drive it with that amount of fluid in there. The top-off is to account for the volume of the fluid cooler.

Are you sure you're opening the filler plug? It's really difficult to get to, behind the heavy wiring harness. If you have no problem getting to the filler plug then you're probably opening the drain plug.

 

Are letting it warm up prior to checking? It' supposed to be check soon after cold start with fluid still as cool as possible. Are you adding/checking it at idle/running as manual states?

Part of accounting for.

The drain time determines how much fluid is drained from the torque converter.
......

 

Are we talking the ZF auto trans? I thought the fill level plug was right there on the front of the pan. I have no trouble with access.

 

I think it's possible that you put the new filter in without the O-rings from the original filter. That plastic pick-up tube needs the old O-ring when you put it on the new filter or it won't pull the fluid up and that's why you have no transmission and can't get the required amount of your new fluid back in. Could this be the case?

How much can you get into it? Like 2-3 quarts, just enough to fill the pan? The trans isn't drawing-up the fluid as required for everything like the valve body, pump and cooler to do its work.

 

Ah! Right you are. I was thinking of the transfer case.

 

Just to be clear, once you fill until it runs out, then put in the fill plug and start the engine and run through each gear a couple times and return to Park, you then LEAVE IT RUNNING, and remove the fill plug and top off until it runs out the fill plug while the engine is RUNNING, and then replace fill plug.